The Karnataka government will crack the whip heavily on those found guilty of indulging in or associating with the inhuman practice of female foeticide, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao told News18 in an exclusive interview. Those found guilty would be severely punished under the strictest laws of the country, he added.
This stern message echoes amidst a worrying decline in the sex ratio at birth, plummeting from 947 girls to 1,000 boys in 2022 in the state. The state government has ramped up its vigilance following police investigations of prenatal sex determination and female foeticide across Bengaluru Urban, Mandya and Mysuru districts.
State health officials and police have also uncovered the existence of organised rackets comprising doctors, lab technicians, nurses and hospital managements, and plan to set in place tough measures to curb it.
Police have arrested the owner of a hospital in Bengaluru’s Hoskote where an illegally aborted 22-week-old female foetus was found in a dustbin. This follows the arrest of over 15 individuals in connection with a female foeticide racket in Mandya and Mysuru districts.
The Karnataka Health Ministry’s move to closely monitor the medical community comes against the backdrop of the southern state experiencing a shocking decline in the sex ratio at birth, dropping from 947 girls to 1,000 boys in the previous year to 929 girls to 1,000 boys this year. Health Minister Rao has decided to implement stringent measures to address this issue, including the formation of a task force to conduct regular checks on hospitals, clinics, and scanning centres.
“We are taking this issue extremely seriously and we will formulate a policy, including amending existing laws for better enforcement and stringent measures to bring illegal sex determination and female foeticide to nil,” Rao said.
A policy to counter this inhuman trend is in the works, and a special task force will collaborate with the police to conduct undercover operations and arrest those involved. The task force will review its progress every three to six months and establish district-level Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT Act) cells across the state.
The marked decline in the sex ratio signals a concerning preference for male children, and the government aims to urgently address and eliminate sex-selective practices in the state. A special task force comprising officials from the police, health, urban local body, and AYUSH will be formed to conduct spot inspections at the district and panchayat levels.
Examining the statistics, the entire state of Karnataka witnessed a troubling decline in the child sex ratio at birth, slipping from 947 in 2021 to a concerning 929 in 2022. In 2019, the state’s average sex ratio was 934, increasing to 947 in 2020 and 2021.
According to the CRS data, Chikkaballapur, with its abysmal ratio of 868 girls to 1,000 boys, and Bengaluru Urban’s 25% nosedive from 1,269 to 949 paint a grim picture. Meanwhile, Bengaluru Urban (including BBMP) saw a 25% nosedive in the gender ratio, dropping from 1,269 girls per 1,000 boys in 2021 to a worrisome 949 in 2022.
Twenty-two other districts in Karnataka experienced a slump in the sex ratio, with five major districts where the ratio has fallen below 900, including Chikkaballapur (868), Kalaburagi (888), and Bidar (898), Mandya (877) and Bagalkote (886).
Rao acknowledges the challenge beyond mere laws. “The lack of sensitivity amongst those indulging in this heinous act is even more disturbing,” he stated.
“It is not just about laws, but the fact that people even today have this kind of thinking and are driven to indulge in female foeticide is more upsetting,” Rao said.
Stringent laws, dedicated task forces, and societal awareness are crucial weapons in this battle for human life. The government plans to conduct awareness drives in schools, colleges, and collaborate with various departments such as women and child, and education to make Karnataka a model state where such practices are eradicated.
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